UPFA General Secretary and Cabinet Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera said that Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran must apologize for the statements he made recently at the 'Tamil People Arise' protest organized in Jaffna.

Amaraweera, speaking at a public meeting, said that the Chief Minister's statement has been well received by extremists in both the north and the south. However, the peace-loving people in the country do not condone such speeches, Amaraweera added.

The government will have to investigate as to why Wigneswaran made such a statement, Amaraweera also said. He claimed that wigneswaran might have been carrying out the wishes of the extremists in the south.

Wigneswaran allegedly demanded a halt to construction of Buddhist temples in the north during the controversial speech. However, he claimed yesterday that his speech has been mistranslated and misinterpreted.